Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: Mad As Hell takes best in show

Mad As Hell was the best half-hour on Aussie TV last night, although Ten did better than expected.

Seven’s night, in a closeish one. Nine was next, the ABC third and a very close Ten fourth overall. It wasn’t as close in the main channels. In regional markets it wasn’t as close with Seven a clear winner, from Nine, and daylight between the ABC and Ten, whose main channel share was 7.7%, against 9.6% in metro markets, which tells the story about how the network is perceived in the regionals.

My Kitchen Rules led the night, with Nine’s The Block having another solid night with 1.884 million national/ 1.293 million metro/ 591,000 regional viewers. Ten’s fourth spot wasn’t a surprise, what is how they are being rated by various audiences. Ten is on the nose in Sydney and Melbourne, and doing better than the ABC at times in Brisbane, and especially Adelaide and Perth. That’s similar to Seven at the moment (strong in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) and not so strong in Melbourne and line ball to slightly stronger in Sydney. Ten’s Puberty Blues did Ok in metro markets, but not so well in the regionals.

Nine’s schedule was disrupted by screening The AFL Footy Show last night from 9.20pm in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth (and in those regional markets). It only averaged 322,000 metro viewers (and 409,000 nationally, dominated by 223,000 in Melbourne (which is a shadow of figures in years past). A one off episode of Inside Story was show in Sydney and Brisbane and the appropriate regional markets. It had 614,000 national and 293,000 metro viewers. The regular Inside Story at 8.30pm had 816,000 metro viewers.

Mad as Hell on ABC1 last night — great again with 897,000 national/ 620,000 metro / 277,000 regional viewers. It’s been all alone in its key role as the necessary antidote to all the earnest current affairs and news programs on TV. But never fear, from next Monday reinforcements arrive in the shape of The Roast which returns to ABC2 from 8.15pm, Monday to Friday (instead of 7.30pm as in 2013).

Network channel share:

Seven (33.6%)

Nine (31.0%)

ABC (15.6%)

Ten (15.4%)

SBS (4.2%)

Network main channels:

Seven (26.3%)

Nine (24.0%)

ABC 1 (10.2%)

Ten (9.6%)

SBS ONE (3.4%)

Top digital channels:

7mate, GO (4.0%)

Eleven (3.4%)

7TWO (3.3%)

ABC2, Gem (3.0%)

ONE (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 2.379 million

The Block Show (Nine) — 1.884 million

Nine News — 1.700 million

The Black List (Seven) — 1.544 million

Seven News — 1.472 million

Home and Away (Seven) — 1.453 million

ABC News — 1.275 million

A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.187 million

Nine News 6.30 — 1.087 million

Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.040 million

Top metro programs:

My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 1.610 million

The Block (Nine) — 1.293 million

Nine News — 1.185 million

Seven News — 1.120 million

Nine News 6.30 — 1.087 million

Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.040 million

Losers: Anyone not watching Mad As Hell.Metro news and current affairs: